The present invention relates to card cleaning mechanisms, card cleaning methods and card printing apparatuses; more particularly, the present invention relates to card cleaning mechanisms that remove dirt and dust adhering to a print surface of a card to improve printing quality, and card cleaning methods and card printing apparatuses.
Conventionally, cleaning technology was known for removing dust and dirt and the like adhering to a card printing surface prior to the print process at a printing unit that has a print head when creating a card-shaped recording medium such as a credit card, cash card, license card or ID card and the like. An example of a cleaning technology is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Pat. Pub. 2848412.
A mechanism that cleans a surface of the member by removing dust and dirt from a surface of the member, specifically which removed dust and dirt adhering to the card printing surface is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,018,117B2 and Unexamined Japanese Pat. Pub. 2000-313153.
A technology that cleans the surface of a cleaning member that comes into contact with the card by moving the member which removed the dust and dirt adhering to the card printing surface a plurality of times is disclosed in Pat. Pub. 2848412 and Unexamined Japanese Pat. Pub. 2000-313153.
However, in a case where a card issuing apparatus and a card printing apparatus that create card-shaped media have a function to remove dust and dirt adhering to the card printing surface formed using a roller-shaped member, there is a problem where the dust and dirt removed from the card is transferred to another card. To make the apparatus more compact, it is necessary to position this cleaning device (roller-shaped member) as close to the printing unit as possible in the conveyance path. For example, in an apparatus that print records predetermined images and characters by thermally transferring a plurality of colors (for example, yellow, magenta and cyan, or Y, M, C) to the card using a thermal head, and a thermal transfer film interposed between the card print surface and the thermal head, it is necessary to convey the card in the opposite direction when sequentially printing a next color after the printing of a first color is completed. However, at this time, because the conveyance path is short, the printed card and cleaning mechanism surfaces come into mutual contact which causes ink to soil the surface of the cleaning mechanism. This causes a problem of lowered print quality on the card printing surface.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a card cleaning mechanism, card cleaning method and card printing apparatus that securely remove dirt and dust adhering to a card printing surface without transferring the removed dust and dirt to the same or a different card. The card cleaning mechanism does not reduce card print quality caused by ink adhering and smudging the surface of the cleaning mechanism.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.